Baroness Grey-Thompson: In war sexual violence is as devastating as bullets and bombs
Echoing calls in a joint UNICEF UK letter earlier this week, Tanni Grey-Thompson urges world leaders to protect children in conflict from the horrors of sexual violence.
Our instinctive reaction is to protect children from harm. Sadly we cannot protect every child, but there are steps we can take to prevent and protect children especially during conflict. Tragically children in war zones around the world are forced to endure appalling crimes of sexual violence. We have seen this in the past in Darfur, Bosnia, Liberia and now in the current conflicts in Syria and the Central African Republic.
Disturbingly, child survivors of sexual violence often don’t report sexual crimes because there’s no one to confide in or because they fear for their safety after they come forward.
On Wednesday I joined a host of influential women – including author J.K. Rowling, human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin and CEO of Mumsnet Justine Roberts – in signing a
letter to the Editor of the Timesto show my support for UNICEF UK’s call to end sexual violence against children in conflict zones.
I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s commitment to this vital issue by hosting a Global Summit to Prevent Sexual Violence in Conflict in London in June. Our letter calls on world leaders to use this unprecedented opportunity to take practical action to protect women and children from sexual violence in war.
It is critical that the UK Government ensures that the June summit delivers for children. We want measures to be put in place to make it easier for children to report crimes against them and to hold their perpetrators to account through the justice system. Sadly whilst hospitals and doctors may treat the physical wounds of war, many children do not receive adequate emotional care after sexual abuse; this is why funding is also needed to give children the psychological support they need to help them recover long-term.
I hope you will join me in calling for world leaders to commit to take action so that children are protected when they are at their most vulnerable.
Sexual violence in conflict is preventable not inevitable.
www.unicef.org.uk/endsexualviolence